page_

Fac-simile of Letter written in Boyhood 79

Outline of the Maclise Painting of 1839. Engraved by Jeens 178

Apotheosis of Grip the Raven, by Maclise, R.A. 237

Fac-simile of C. D.'s autograph signature Boz (1841) 276

Fac-simile of Invitation to the Public Dinner in New York, with
the signatures 309

Fac-simile of Invitation to the Public Ball in New York, with
the signatures 309

Fac-simile of the Bill of the Private Play in Canada 415

THE LIFE

OF

CHARLES DICKENS.

CHAPTER I.

CHILDHOOD

1812-1822.

Birth at Landport in Portsea--Family of John
Dickens--Powers of Observation in Children--Two
Years Old--In London, aet. 2-3--In Chatham, aet.
4-9--Vision of Boyhood--The Queer Small
Child--Mother's Teaching--Day-School in Rome
Lane--Retrospects of Childhood--David
Copperfield and Charles Dickens--Access to
Small but Good
Library--Tragedy-Writing--Comic-Song
Singing--Cousin James Lamert--First taken to
Theatre--At Mr. Giles's School--Encored in the
Recitations--Boyish Recollections--Birthplace
of his Fancy--Last Night in Chatham--In
London--First Impressions--Bayham Street,
Camden-town--Faculty of Early Observation--His
Description of his Father--Small Theatre made
for him--Sister Fanny at Royal Academy of
Music--Walks about London--Biography and
Autobiography--At his Godfather's and his
Uncle's--First Efforts at Description--"Res
Angusta Domi"--Mother exerting Herself--Father
in the Marshalsea--Visit to the Prison--Captain
Porter--Old Friends disposed of--At the
Pawnbroker's.

CHARLES DICKENS, the most popular novelist of the century, and one of
the greatest humorists that England has produced, was born at Landport
in Portsea on Friday, the 7th of February, 1812.

His father, John Dickens, a clerk in the Navy-pay office, was at this
time stationed in the Portsmouth dockyard. He had made acquaintance with
the lady, Elizabeth Barrow, who became afterwards his wife, through her
elder brother, Thomas Barrow, also engaged on the establishment at
Somerset House; and she bore him in all a family of eight children, of
whom two died i